Claiming a point at Slough Town cemented Welling United’s position as the draw kings of the Vanarama National League South.
Eighteen times they ended games with the spoils shared and the season ended with them in seventeenth place in the league table, eight points clear of the bottom four.
At Slough, neither team had a chance of going up or down, yet the players of both teams put in hundred precent effort performances in swirling windy conditions.
In the first half, the hosts had by far the better of the possession and goal opportunities. Welling goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook was kept busy making regulation saves from Matt Lench and Nathan Minhas (twice). He was then called into making a more difficult one when Johnny Goddard’s corner picked out Dan Bayliss at the near post and the Wings’ custodian did well to hold his close range header.
Leon Chambers-Parillon tried his luck with a shot from twenty yards using the outside of his boot. Charles-Cook could only look on and was relieved when it went beyond the far post. The Welling goalkeeper was powerless again when Goddard got on the end of a low cross by David Ogbonna however, Slough’s leading scorer skied it over from inside the six yard box when it looked easier to score.
Charles-Cook then made a good low save from Chambers-Parillon before Welling had a great chance of their own. Jason Adigun’s glorious cross-field pass split the Slough defence and sent Gene Kennedy through but the young Colchester United loanee’s effort flew just beyond the far post.
Ogbonna then came close with a curler that beat Charles-Cook but came back out off the post. Then, as the first half came to an end, the Welling goalkeeper made another excellent save to thwart Minhas.
After the break, Welling came out more lively as an attacking force and Anthony Grant’s shot from an Antony Papadopoulos pass fizzed inches wide before Adigun’s well struck shot was beaten out by Dan Lincoln and Cameron Green’s first time follow up was off target.
Lincoln saved well from Reece Grant before Goddard volleyed wide at the other end.
Less than twenty minutes remained when the deadlock was broken. Adigun’s skills on the wing enabled him to break away. He played it inside to Papadopoulos and ran on to receive the return pass before driving across the face of goal for Reece Grant to finish from close range.
However, six minutes later, it was back to all square. Ogbonna worked his way into the penalty area and as Green moved in to challenge, the Slough winger went to ground and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Goddard stepped up and sent Charles-Cook the wrong way.
In the closing stages Welling looked for a winner and Lincoln got down well to save a Papadopoulos free kick before Adigun almost scored a late winner. He noticed Lincoln off his line and his first time effort from over fifty yards was only just off target.
There were no further opportunities and Welling shook hands on a well earned point.
Welling United: Charles-Cook, Johnson (Williams-Lowe 78), Green, A. Grant (Munns 66), Burchell, Byrd, Adigun, Kennedy, Amoo (Bramble 60), R. Grant, Papadopoulos. Subs not used: Lema, Roscrow.
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